Shell building, bypass work among city projects for 2013

Published: Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 03:29 PM.

SHELBY — Plans to continue making Cleveland County home for eager companies is one of many goals this year for the City of Pleasant Living.

Design plans for the second shell building located at the Foothills Commerce Center should be finalized by month’s end. The city plans to advertise construction bids for the 100,000 square foot building in February, according to Shelby City Manager Rick Howell.

The shell building’s budget is set around $3 million.

“We hope to seek construction start in April and finish by October,” he said.

The new building will be beside the first shell building, which will house Schletter Inc. The German company produces solar-panel mounting systems.

The new shell building’s construction, as with the first, is a partnership between the city and county. The second shell building’s construction will be funded from proceeds garnered from the Schletter building sale, Howell said.

Schletter should be operational this year, said Angela Kliever, director of marketing for the company. Plans to hire 140 employees by year’s end are still in the works. Future employees could see an annual salary starting at $40,000.

SHELBY — Plans to continue making Cleveland County home for eager companies is one of many goals this year for the City of Pleasant Living.

Design plans for the second shell building located at the Foothills Commerce Center should be finalized by month’s end. The city plans to advertise construction bids for the 100,000 square foot building in February, according to Shelby City Manager Rick Howell.

The shell building’s budget is set around $3 million.

“We hope to seek construction start in April and finish by October,” he said.

The new building will be beside the first shell building, which will house Schletter Inc. The German company produces solar-panel mounting systems.

The new shell building’s construction, as with the first, is a partnership between the city and county. The second shell building’s construction will be funded from proceeds garnered from the Schletter building sale, Howell said.

Schletter should be operational this year, said Angela Kliever, director of marketing for the company. Plans to hire 140 employees by year’s end are still in the works. Future employees could see an annual salary starting at $40,000.

An additional 40,000 square feet will be added to the current Schletter building to expand manufacturing operations that include welding, housing and shipping duties, Kliever said.

“We’re just moving forward as quickly as we can,” Kliever said. “Our goal is to be fully operational by the summer.”

Here’s a look at what else Shelby has planned for this year:

-The new Foothills Farmers’ Market Pavilion is scheduled for completion by early fall. The pavilion will be located at the corner of West Marion and Morgan streets in a city owned parking lot

-Improvements for a sewer lift station on East Dixon Boulevard, located near Cleveland Mall, are under way. The $1 million project will be paid for from the state’s Revolving Fund. The city’s loan repayment will be at a zero percent interest rate for the next 20 years.

-Construction of the new U.S. 74 bypass should start early this year. The soon-to-be four lane highway will stretch from Sandy Run Creek to the Ingles located in Kings Mountain. The total project costs around $295.9 million, including construction, and should be finished by 2030.

-Approval could come as early as March for the city to start using a half-million grant to rehabilitate homes and road infrastructure along Lillie and Cameron Streets. The N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Community Investment awarded the grant to the city last fall.

-A future sidewalk is in place for Forest Hill Drive as part of a grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation Safe Route to Schools. The project should be completed this year.